The commentators 05-01-15

...on UK politics

England today has, for the first time in her history, a five party system. It ismade up of the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, the UK Independence party and the Greens, all of whom currently score over 5 per cent in the opinion polls. Scotland, with the Scottish National party, has a six party system. It is unlikely, therefore, that the May general election will yield single-party majority government- Vernon Bogdanor, Financial Times

The top issue on voters’ minds in this election will obviously not be the country’s constitutional future. The economy, jobs, immigration, the National Health Service, public spending, deficit and debt – all will rank higher. But the British question may yet be the one on which the result turns among English voters.- Timothy Garton Ash, The Guardian

Now is the time for those to whom we pay fortunes to run the place actually to step up and provide us with answers to concerns and questions that, in some instances, have been allowed to remain unresolved for years. Sadly it is a list that is all too long but right at the top has to be exactly what were the circumstances and manoeuvrings behind the ill-starred invasion of Iraq in 2003.- Nick Ferrari, Daily Express

The May election will not produce another coalition in the UK. Britain is unlikely to adopt a “more European” model of permanent coalition government in future. The experience of the current one has not been happy, having produced, if anything, more recrimination and personal bitterness rather than less.- Janet Daley, Daily Telegraph